In harnessing "Dem Bow" as a point of centrality, this song speaks to various patterns of migration, commercialization, branding, and reforming within the context of reggaeton.
"Dem Bow" remixes of the mid-'90s originated from Puerto Rico and New York in the form of long, 30-minute mixtapes that fused digital samples of hip-hop, dancehall and the riddim of reggaeton hits.
These chopped up mixes of reggaeton and hip-hop created a new intercultural space of blackness within the urban diaspora of New York and San Juan.
As seen in Wisin & Yandel's 2003 version of "Dem Bow", while there is a definite remnant of the original riddim, Ranks' of rabid homophobia is erased and transformed into a sweet song about sensuality.
In turn, this speaks to persisting assertions and disidentifications of cultural narratives and histories surrounding black sexual and gender identities.
[4] Puerto Rican artists in New York specifically reformed the genre as a hybrid site of hip-hop and reggae––grounding the music in "reference" rather than “reverence” to "Dem Bow".
[6] As evidenced by the transnational flow and influence stemming from "Dem Bow", reggaeton provides a unique soundscape that amalgamates a multitude of identities, histories, and cultures.